


Pain In The Ass

by SwanFloatieKnight



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Gymnastics, Living Together, M/M, no beta we die like men, online lessons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:15:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28101516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanFloatieKnight/pseuds/SwanFloatieKnight
Summary: Arthur didn't expect Merlin's gymnastics lesson to be quite that exhausting
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46





	Pain In The Ass

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FervidAsAFlame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FervidAsAFlame/gifts).



> definitely not inspired by real life or something XD not at all

A/N: I posted this fic on Ao3, and on Ao3 alone. If you read this on any other website or platform, please consider that I did not consent to this.

* * *

Arthur had to admit, he was not so amused when Merlin had announced that he would take his gymnastics lessons via zoom now. And he would have to use the living room as this was the only room in their tiny flat that was big enough to work out.

“I wanted to relax a bit and watch TV,” he complained at dinner.

Merlin pouted. “But I have missed going to the gym so much, this lockdown is really getting on my nerves. It’s just one evening a week, we can chill and watch TV for the other six evenings. And also, it’s sport! Why don’t you join me?”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “No, thank you. I will pass. But do your zoom gymnastics lesson if you insist. And I’ll just do… something else.”

Merlin looked at his plate. “You know, a little working out wouldn’t do you any harm. Don’t you think it would be fun?”

Arthur pulled a face. “I will rather watch you instead of TV than join your bit of exercise.”

“Oh, no watching! I will get you to join me, you’ll see.”

“How?”

“I could make dessert for tomorrow. Mousse au chocolate?”

And damn it all, Arthur was weak for Merlin’s mousse au chocolate. Very weak. So weak that he really did agree on joining his lesson. Not without stressing several times that those little exercises surely would be easy for him, not even a real challenge. But he insisted on putting up his mat in the hallway.

“No thank you, I won’t join you in the living room. They don’t have to see me on video, that’s embarrassing.”

“If you insist.”

Merlin put his laptop on the sofa and entered the zoom meeting. “Hi Lancelot!” He waved at the trainer with a happy smile. “Good to see you again!”

“Hello, Merlin!” Lancelot smiled back at him. “I’m glad that at least some of you are here now. Let’s see, I hope this works out.”

“I hope you work out.” Gwaine’s video flashed up. Merlin waved at him, too. It was nice to see his friends once again, even if it was just via the video in Lancelot’s gymnastics lesson. He could see Elyan and Gwen together, he saw Percival and Leon and a few other people that he did not know so well.

“Right, so at first I will have to ask you all to mute yourself, but please keep your camera on so I can see you,” Lancelot instructed them after another three minutes. “And I hope you can hear the music, if not write a message in the chat, I can turn it up a bit.”

Merlin, like the others, signalled him a thumbs up or nodded, and Lancelot turned up the music.

“Oh god,” Arthur moaned from the hallway. “Is that ‘Last Christmas’? In an awful remix version?”

“Sounds like it.” Merlin was now focussing on Lancelot’s instructions of ‘side step, v step, double side step’ and didn’t pay too much attention to Arthur. “Hey, you’re supposed to join me, clotpole!”

Arthur gave the hopping and stepping a half-hearted attempt, but soon gave up. “This is too complicated. How do you keep up with the steps?”

Merlin just shook his head. “It’s not that hard? Didn’t you say it would be easy? And deeper down when you double side step!”

Arthur rolled his eyes. He had the terrible feeling that this lesson would be far more challenging than he had anticipated. And there were still 40 minutes to survive!

Fifteen minutes later though he learned the hard way that the warm up was, in fact, the easiest part of the lesson. And yes, Merlin was complaining to him, too, and he caught a look of Gwaine’s pained face on the screen once. But they all managed Lancelot’s exercises quite well. Better than him anyways.

“Gwen, your leg must be higher! Look at Elyan, he’s doing it right!”

Merlin grinned as he saw Elyan sticking out his tongue at his sister.

“And hold that position! Eight, seven, six…”

“Jesus Christ,” Arthur groaned. Merlin heard the sound of his body collapsing back onto the mat. “How the fuck does Lancelot still sound so bloody motivated?”

“I wish I knew.” Merlin was panting as well, a bead of sweat running down his temple. When Lancelot reached zero and told them to switch sides he took a deep breath.

“This is really not how I imagined my relaxed evening to be,” Arthur complained.

“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad. And it’s good for you.” Merlin, just like Lancelot, sounded definitely too cheerful.

“Good for me, I’ll probably die from my sore muscles tomorrow.”

But Arthur tried to keep up with Merlin, stretching his left leg now. After what felt like an eternity Lancelot finally started counting down again. Arthur’s thighs were trembling, he gave up. Panting he laid down on the mat and waited till Lancelot announced the next exercise.

“All right, last exercise for tonight! So, lay down on your side. Pull your knees up a little, not all the way to your chest though. And then lift the upper leg. Do not extend it, see that you always have a 90° angle between your t high and your lower leg. And now, move it. See that the movement is coming from your hip. Don’t move your knee. Push with your heel when moving backwards, pull up your toes when moving forward. Very good, Leon! Yes, Merlin, that looks great!”

Arthur didn’t have the capacity to look at Merlin who, according to Lancelot, looked great. He was too busy focussing on his right leg and the burning ache in his gluteus maximus.

“Merlin!”

“What?”

“I’m getting ass cramps!”

“Awwww, need someone to massage it for you later?”

“God yes, please.”

“Are you serious?”

“Dead serious! Ahh!” Arthur grit his teeth. It wasn’t a cramp yet, but it still fucking _hurt_.

“Just think of how good your ass will look in your swimming trunks in summer, maybe that’ll keep you going,” Merlin joked.

Arthur wasn’t sure if this was actually motivating enough, but somehow he _did_ survive this last exercise, too. After that there was only a bit of stretching and breathing and Lancelot announcing things for the next lesson. Merlin waved at the camera and then left the meeting. Then, he turned to Arthur.

“See, that wasn’t too bad, was it?”

“It was bloody awful.” Arthur pulled a face. “How am I supposed to even move a muscle tomorrow? How am I supposed to sit if my ass will be sore as hell?”

“My poor darling.” Merlin crawled over to him and patted his shoulder. “But you know… my massage offer still stands.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Well… I guess, now that we’re already sweaty and tired… we could also directly go to bed, or what do you think?”

“To massage your ass?”

He shrugged. “That’s what you said.”

Merlin’s answer consisted of poking said ass and telling Arthur to lead the way to the bedroom. And when he felt Merlin’s warm hands on his backside slowly removing his jogging pants Arthur actually started considering if this reward might be worth it to join the gymnastics class again next week.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, please leave me a comment and kudos!


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